How To Use RealVNC On Linux

VNC servers are notoriously confusing to set up, especially if you’re a new Linux user trying to figure out how to control one PC from another. Thankfully, RealVNC exists. It’s a cross-platform VNC solution that’s dead simple to configure. RealVNC has superb support for many different Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch Linux, OpenSUSE and many others. To use RealVNC on Linux, choose your operating system below and enter the corresponding commands!

Note: If your Linux distribution doesn’t have support for DEB, RPM or the Arch AUR, you’ll need to follow the “Generic Linux” instructions.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is the sole Linux distribution targeted by many software developers. As a result, RealVNC has some seriously great support for both the RealVNC server and viewer. To get it working on Ubuntu, you won’t be enabling any specific PPAs or third-party software repositories. Instead, to use it, a standalone DEB package file is required.

RealVNC has both a server component and a viewer. Download VNC Connect on the Linux PC (or Server) that will be the VNC host and download the client app on the remote PC connecting in. To get VNC Connect, head over to the official site, select DEB, and download the package to your PC. Grab the VNC Viewer app here.

VNC Connect Installation

Once the VNC Connect DEB package is finished downloading, open up the file manager. Click on “Downloads,” and double-click on the DEB package labeled “VNC-Server-6.3.1-Linux-x64.deb“. Double-clicking the VNC Server DEB package will instantly open the Ubuntu Software Center. Click “Install” to get the software on your Ubuntu PC.

Alternatively, if you do not have access to Ubuntu Software Center, or prefer the terminal, install VNC Connect with the dpkg tool:

Debian

Debian support isn’t outlined specifically on the RealVNC website, but given the fact that Ubuntu and Debian share similar architectures, getting the software working shouldn’t be an issue. To start off, download the VNC Connect DEB package to the Linux machine that is doing the VNC hosting.

Download VNC Viewer to the Debian PC that will remote in. Once both packages are downloaded, follow the instructions below.

VNC Connect Installation

Open up the file manager in Debian and select the “Downloads” folder. Next, find “VNC-Server-6.3.1-Linux-x64.deb” and double-click on it to open the package in the GDebi package installation tool. Click “Install” and enter a password to install the server software. Alternatively, install via terminal with:

VNC Viewer Installation

Make your way to “Downloads” in the Debian file manager, look for “VNC-Viewer-6.18.625-Linux-x64.deb” and double-click on it to open the package in GDebi. Select the “install” button, enter the system password, and let the package install.

Generic Linux Instructions

For those on lesser-known Linux distributions, Real VNC has a generic, binary archivefor both the server and the viewer app. Download the server archive to the PC that will host the connection, and the viewer to the remote machine. Then, open up a terminal and run the commands below to run RealVNC.

Set Up RealVNC Server

As RealVNC is meant to make VNC easy to set up for the average user, and there are not many things to tweak. The only real thing to do is to enable the server’s systemd service. In a terminal, start the service with systemctl.

Connecting

Connecting to a remote computer running the RealVNC server application is very simple. To start a remote connection, enter the name of the computer (aka Hostname) in the search box. RealVNC will look for the PC and start a new connection instantly.

Once connected, feel free to use the remote PC like any other computer. When you’re ready to disconnect, close the window.